Course of migraine during pregnancy among migraine sufferers before pregnancy

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the course of migraine without aura and migraine with aura during pregnancy and factors that could influence its course, among migraine sufferers before pregnancy. METHOD: A cross sectional study undertaken at the IMIP, Brazil. Out of 686 consecutively assisted women, at the first postnatal week, 266 were identified as migraine sufferers before pregnancy. RESULTS: There was migraine remission in 35.4%, 76.8% and 79.3% among migraine without aura sufferers and 20.7%, 58.6% and 65.5% among those with migraine with aura, respectively in the first, second and third trimesters. Statistically significant difference was found when the first trimester was compared with the second and third trimesters. The factors associated with the presence of migraine during pregnancy were: multiparity, menstrually related migraine without aura prior to pregnancy and illness during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The study contributed to elucidate the course of migraine during pregnancy in migraine sufferers prior to pregnancy.